Community

Images from 2018 Fred Yiran Arfican Arts Day

FYAAD 2018

Planning for FYAAD 2018 starts this month. We promise to put together a day full of exciting dances, workshops, learning and lots of fun. Details will be shared with you as planning progresses. Updates can also
be found at:Twitter: twitter.com/yiranarts.

Tòh Dance from 2017 FYAAD.

The Nso people are descendants of Ngonso who was a woman. After making so many treaties the people of Nso finally settled in Mbo Nso. The men started groups like Manjong and others to maintain their chivalry and camaraderie. Knowing that women
were the ones that fed the family, Ngonso started the Chong, and urged each woman to take upon the “grounding stone” as the sym-bol that feeds the entire family.

Nso women became empowered by this and Chong became a “SAVINGS” house. From attending Chong, women then started ‘TOH’ which became a women’s dance performed during wedding celebrations. In those days, when a Nso woman was to be taken as a bride,
they wore a “kintsee” on her head and covered her whole face so that the bridegroom cannot see the face, as is done today with a veil. The bridal convoy dances with the bride covered until she is safely escorted to her husband.

Today the Toh dance has become the most entertaining dance of Nso women all over the world, and is performed during weddings and birth celebrations, and Conventions. The Nso people are descendants of Ngonso who was a woman. After making so many
treaties the people of Nso finally settled in Mbo Nso. The men started groups like Mfu, Samba and others to maintain their chivalry and camaraderie. Knowing that women were the ones that fed the family, Ngonso started the Chong, and urged
each wom-an to take upon the “grounding stone” as the symbol that feeds the entire family.

Today the Toh dance has become the most entertaining dance of Nso women all over the world, and is performed during weddings and birth celebrations, and as well as events of great import. -Brendan Banteh